The field of the invention is composite imaging of an inanimate surface or object.
Geologists and structural engineers study surfaces and surface structure for insight into topography and elemental/molecular composition of a particular surface. The study of surfaces is beneficial for a number of reasons: a) to study contaminants embedded in the surface, b) to study defects in the surface; and c) to study if and how the surface changes over time.
There are a plurality of analytical techniques that are used to study surfaces. Current techniques can be divided into two primary classes: proximate investigation instrumentation and remote investigation instrumentation. Proximate investigation instrumentation (PII) can be defined as that instrumentation that collects surface data from no more than 12 inches away from the surface. Examples of PII techniques are electron microscopes, confocal microscopes, tunneling microscopes, ion sputtering, and some conventional photogrammetry techniques. Remote investigation instrumentation (RII) can be defined as that instrumentation that collects surface data from at least 12 inches away from the surface. Examples of RII techniques are electrochemical sensors, laser photogrammetry, laser-induced fluorescence and atomic-fluorescence spectroscopy.
Proximate investigation instrumentation has several strengths depending on the surface analyzed and the individual technology employed. PII can offer a) nanometer resolution, b) point to point sampling of a surface; and c) possible elemental mapping. Electron and tunneling microscopes are the primary instruments used for proximate investigations. These microscopes perform ideally with small surfaces, characterized by small length and width, as well as small depths of surface contour.
PII suffers from several drawbacks, including a) the requirement of a vacuum, b) charging effects, and c) the lack of translation to more remote surface studies. Several of the proximate investigation instrumentation designs bombard the surface with electron beams or waves. Those beams or waves scatter and become highly inefficient if not utilized under vacuum pressure. Also, in most cases, the surface should be coated with a metal, such as gold, that will minimize charging effects. Finally, since electron beams and waves are most efficient at short distances, PII becomes less efficient and has increased noise levels at more remote distances from the surface of interest.
PII can be versatile, however, in that both surface structure and surface composition can be studied. Electron and tunneling microscopes primarily study the surface structure and can provide, in some cases, images of individual atoms and molecules. However, characterization of the elemental and molecular makeup of the surface takes place by a fundamentally different process. In order to investigate the composition of a surface by PII, a portion of the surface can be sputtered away or ablated for in situ plasma analysis. For a small surface, the ablation technique can significantly change the surface topography on a micrometer and nanometer scale. Thus, although both surface topography and composition can be studied with PII, both may not be conducted simultaneously and without relative significant damage/change to the surface topography.
Remote investigation instrumentation has several strengths depending on the information sought and the technology chosen. RII can offer a) large surface area characterization, b) more preferable atmospheric working conditions; and c) little to no significant surface change in topography or conductivity in most cases. Another advantage is that several of the RII techniques use lasers to produce data because of their highly coherent and directional nature.
RII techniques have been successful, based on the above inherent advantages, in characterizing the surface topography or composition of large surface areas, such as walls, flooring, lakes, ocean water, beach landscape, volcanoes, farms, cities, and desert landscape.
RII techniques suffer some drawbacks, such as the ability to simultaneously integrate real time topography and compositional data. Conventional, as well as laser, photogrammetry is primarily used to collect surface topography data. Photogrammetry, however, does not quantify compositional data. Laser-induced fluorescence and atomic-fluorescence spectroscopy can quantify compositional data, however, neither technology can collect reliable topography data of a surface.
There is still a need, however, for remote investigation instrumentation that is capable of efficiently and simultaneously collecting both topography and compositional data for a specific inanimate surface area.
A topocompositional image of an inanimate object or surface can be generated that comprises data that relates to a topographical image, data that relates to a chemical compositional image, and combining such topographical and chemical compositional data to form a composite image.
In preferred embodiments, a laser that functions to induce both topographical and chemical compositional data directs a laser beam into a scanning optics source. The scanning optics source directs an active beam to a point on a surface. A sensor subsequently collects the scanning/active beams directed from the scanning optics source to the surface and thus deflected or reflected back to the sensor in order to collect position, chemical compositional and topographical data that represent the interaction of the active beam with a point. Position data, chemical compositional data and topographical data are transmitted along individual feeds to a data analysis component where they are analyzed and combined in order to generate a composite image.
In another aspect of the present invention, a single imaging instrument may be used to induce topographical and/or chemical compositional data or a imaging instrumental configuration comprising two or more individual imaging instruments may be used to induce the topographical and/or chemical compositional data. In preferred embodiments, a single imaging instrument is used to induce the topographical and chemical compositional data. In more preferred embodiments, a laser source is used to induce the topographical and chemical compositional data.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, the topographical and chemical compositional data may be collected simultaneously during the same surface scan or sequentially by scanning the topographical and chemical compositional data separately. In preferred embodiments, the topographical and chemical compositional data is collected simultaneously during the same surface scan.
In one aspect of the present invention, at least one of the topographical image, the chemical compositional image and the composite image may be produced or represented in two dimensions, three dimensions or four dimensions. In preferred embodiments, the topographical image, the chemical compositional image and the composite image are represented in four dimensions: length, width, height or depth and time or change in time.
Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, along with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components.